


Without Warning

by LostCauses (Anteros)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Fluff and Angst, M/M, UST, eruri - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-01
Updated: 2016-09-01
Packaged: 2018-08-12 11:29:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7932931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anteros/pseuds/LostCauses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is wrong.  Something has been irritating Levi all week, scratching persistently at the inside his skull.  He is off kilter and out of sorts, irritated and aggravated, uncomfortable in his own skin.  He can’t put his finger on what is wrong, which only increases his annoyance, making him even more cantankerous and short tempered than usual.</p><p>In which Levi struggles to understand his feelings.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Without Warning

Something is wrong. 

Something has been irritating Levi all week, scratching persistently at the inside his skull. He is off kilter and out of sorts, irritated and aggravated, uncomfortable in his own skin. He can’t put his finger on what is wrong, which only increases his annoyance, making him even more cantankerous and short tempered than usual.

The Survey Corps headquarters is quiet, or as quiet as a compound of several hundred souls can possibly be. The Commander is attending meetings in Mitras, the Squad Leaders are completing reports from the last expedition and, in the barracks, veterans and trainees are taking a rare opportunity to kick back. But the Captain cannot settle. He prowls the corridors and training grounds like a restless spirit, snapping at anyone who strays across his path. The trainees quickly learn to give him a wide berth and by the end of the week even Hanji is avoiding him. 

Levi knows he’s being unreasonable but he can’t shake the feeling of anxious agitation or put his finger on the cause. Even cleaning fails to take the edge off. In an effort to distract himself, he resorts to training mercilessly, pushing himself through faster, riskier manoeuvres until, after one particularly vertiginous freefall which he pulls out of just feet from the ground, Nanaba asks him to stop in the grounds that he is scaring her.

Evenings are the worst. Time seems to slow and drag like damp sand in a cracked hourglass. Levi has become accustomed to spending evenings in the Commander’s office, sitting quietly opposite his desk as they work through the inevitable piles of paper work. It’s become a routine of sorts, but until now, he hadn’t realised how habitual it had become.

One evening when the feeling of restless irritation is unbearable, he picks the lock of the Commander’s office and slips inside, hoping the familiarity will provide some ease. He sits in his usual spot on the couch and stares at the empty desk. He feels marginally less agitated picturing Erwin sitting there, a calm solid presence. But he’s not there and Levi can only ignore his absence for so long before he’s fidgeting impatiently again. He gets up and wanders around the office, straightening the papers on the desk, rearranging some books on the bookshelf, picking up a crumpled ball of paper from the floor, checking the surfaces for dust. He can’t shake the uncomfortable feeling that he’s looking for something, but he’s just not sure what. Eventually Levi gives up and returns to his quarters where he lies down on his bed and stares at the ceiling. He focuses all his considerable will on trying to empty his mind, desperate for the oblivion of sleep. He tries and he fails. Levi is still lying awake when dawn creeps over the horizon and the reveille sounds.

Blinking grit from his eyes, Levi gets up to wash and makes his way down to the mess hall in search of tea. He’s half way down the stairs when he meets the Commander striding up the steps towards him. He’s unshaven, still wearing his travelling coat and mud spattered boots and he’s talking animatedly to Mike. Without pausing their conversation, Erwin nods and smiles as they pass Levi on the stairs. Levi continues on his way, listening to the voices receding behind him. From the bottom of the steps he hears Erwin’s deep laugh echoing down the stairwell. So, it appears that the Commander’s meetings were a success then. Somehow it only increases Levi’s irritation. He pauses, turns and follows Erwin’s laughter back up the stairs.

The Commander is removing his cloak when Levi barges into his office. There’s no sign of Mike.

“Ah good morning Captain,” Erwin smiles brightly, “did you miss me?”

Levi stops dead as it hits him without warning; the sudden realisation that he has indeed missed Erwin. It hits him like a punch to the gut, all the air leaving his lungs in a sudden surprised huff. He gapes at Erwin. Erwin smiles back, one brow raised in question, as he tosses his cloak over the arm of a chair. Levi stares, speechless, colour rising in his cheeks. Unsure what else to do, he turns on his heel to leave.

“Wait Levi!”

Erwin strides towards him, catching him by the wrist as he makes for the door. 

Levi stops moving, stops breathing. All he is aware of is Erwin’s fingers warm against his wrist, and the sudden release of tension flooding out of him. He stands motionless, staring down at Erwin’s hand, as the irritation and agitation ebbs away. 

“I’m sorry, Levi. I shouldn’t have said that. It was unprofessional of me.”

Levi stares down at Erwin’s hand on his wrist, then lifts his eyes to meet that clear blue gaze, wondering if _that_ was unprofessional, then what the fuck is _this_?

Erwin holds his gaze for a moment, before dropping his hand, the faintest hint of colour flushing his face.

“Ah sorry. Please wait one moment, I have something for you.”

He digs into his jacket pocket and holds out a closed fist to Levi, who tentatively extends his hand towards him. Erwin places something small, black and rectangular on his palm. Levi stares at it in surprise. It’s a block of pressed tea, and from the appearance of the gold seal stamped on the top, not just any tea.

“I’m afraid I’m no connoisseur,” Erwin shrugs apologetically, “but this was recommended to me. I hope it’s all right.”

Levi turns the small block over in his hands, running his fingers lightly over the embossed seal, lifting it to his nose to breathe in the sharp earthy aroma.

“Thank you.”

It takes a moment for Levi to find his voice, and when he does, it doesn’t sound quite right.

“You’re very welcome,” Erwin smiles and his voice doesn’t sound quite right either. Then he clears his throat and continues more briskly.

“So, was there something you needed to report?”

“No, nothing.”

Levi shakes his head but he doesn’t seem able to lift his gaze to meet the Commander’s. 

“Are you sure?” Erwin presses, “you seemed a little out of sorts earlier.”

“No,” Levi swallows hard and forces himself to raise his head, “everything’s fine.”

“Good. Well in that case I should probably…” Erwin gestures apologetically towards the documents that have piled up on his desk in his absence. Documents sorted and tidied by Levi earlier in the week.

Levi leaves with the block of tea pressed in the palm of his hand and the shadow of Erwin’s fingers on his wrist.


End file.
